Wednesday Wish List – Distressed Jeans

July 29, 2015

So last week, I ordered these Madewell jeans, hoping I’d love the ripped knees, selvedge denim, or at least the $40 price tag (originally priced $275 , #steal). I go through love-hate relationship with jeans – there’ll be a period of two months where I’ll buy 6 different pairs and then two years will go by before I restart the process all over again. I’ve always struggled with finding a brand of jeans that checked off everything I wanted in my jeans:

Any jeans that involve morning lunges to stretch them out are a no-go. I love tucking my skinny jeans into my Frye boots, but I never want to worry that if I have to bend down and pick something up, my jeans could rip at the seams.

They have one mission – to make my butt look as amazing as it can and not slack in this mission throughout the day.

Once I turned 24 my body changed and my hips got bigger. Suddenly, some of my favorite dresses and pants just didn’t fit like they used to (I still haven’t accepted that I’ll never fit into my BCBG graduation dress again. It was one of my absolute favorite things (pre-Burberry trench)). Jeans with heavy whiskering are not flattering on my hips.

I’m 75% Polish, and all the women in my family grew up with small chests & great legs (myself included). I’m not trying to brag, but I don’t work out that frequently and I’ve had strangers compliment me on my legs since I was a teen. Most likely I’m not going to have any cleavage to put on display till I have kids, so for now, my legs and how they’re displayed is my number one thing.

Just a note, I can’t stand crop jeans. I hate being restricted to only being able to wear them in the summer. Okay, so back to my Madewell jeans – they checked off 1,3, & 4 but failed at checking off 2. I suppose it’s my fault for thinking boyjeans wouldn’t swallow my rear, but the Madewell Slim Boyjean’s in Akiva do a great job of not doing that. Thanks to Madewell’s amazing free return policy, back they went!

Since then, I’ve noticed that my closet doesn’t quite feel full enough without a pair of distressed jeans, so I’m back on the hunt. I’ve tried asking my co-workers for their opinions on a pair or two, which led to the discussion that ripped jeans come with an expiration date of either age or career choice. Personally, I don’t think I can declare that a ripped knee here or there should never be worn by anyone above the age of 35, because fashion is such a personal thing. Yes, I do hope that my Nana never tries out the crop top and deconstructed jean look, but some women at the age of 40 can add a blazer to a pair of distressed jeans and make it look professional. Our fashion sense changes with age, and there are some things in my closet that I still wear from when I was 16, but probably 70% of my clothes from then either fell apart or I donated. Showing up to TA in a ‘Sweeter than Chocolate’ baseball tee may not be the best idea.

If I don’t buy a pair of distressed jeans it won’t be because of my age, but most likely my budget, feeling ever so tight until I’m off summer salary and real paychecks kick in. In the meantime, a girl can dream about these fabulous pairs of denim:

What’s your take – do distressed jeans have an expiration date?

“Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever.”